Catalonia Barcelona Plaza

First impressions were excellent. Quick check-in, nice lobby, gorgeous bedroom. We booked the clock suite which was huge and had amazing views. Slept so well on the first night as the bed was enormous and comfortable. A few things let the hotel down. The aircon broke on the second day and wasn’t restored until 10am the next day which made sleeping difficult. The entire hotel was sweltering. When asking if we could have an hour later check-out I was told it wasn’t possible as the room was booked. I had just checked online before calling reception and the room was still available. I made this point to the receptionist and she said “would like you to book it?” And I said “no, I would just like one extra hour in the room as we didn’t sleep well.” Eventually she agreed. Nevertheless, the door key was still deactivated at the earlier time. The coffees and water in the room weren’t topped up either. When paying a lot of money for a room, a cheap bottle of water and a top up of coffee capsules would be nice. The rooftop pool and bar were gorgeous. The pool does get very busy, although was less so on Monday morning. The views from the pool area are stunning and the pool area is very nice to relax and meet up with friends, who were also staying in the hotel. Overall, the hotel is stylish and well located. The pool area and views are the highlight. The rooms are modern and beds are comfortable. Would have been 5 stars if it was not for a few things letting the service down.

We stayed at the Catalonia Barcelona Plaza for a 5‑day city break and had a fantastic time. The location at Plaça d’Espanya is ideal — the Aerobús stops right outside, the metro is a few steps away, and Montjuïc is directly behind the hotel. It made getting around the city incredibly easy, especially during a heatwave, and we loved being able to walk up to Montjuïc for the views and the Magic Fountain show. The hotel itself was exactly what we needed: a relaxed base with a great pool area and quiet rooms despite the busy square. Staff were friendly and check‑in was smooth. The rooftop bar has amazing views, although drinks are on the expensive side. The chill‑out area was often closed for private events well ahead of the scheduled time of 17:00, which sent out mixed messages — for example, we were turned away while others were still allowed to sit and sunbathe there. We did experience a leak from the ceiling above our bathroom one morning, which poured down the wall and woke us up. Maintenance responded very quickly and resolved it, but we noticed other guests mentioning similar issues, so it may be something the hotel needs to address. Despite that, the hotel’s location meant we could mix sightseeing with downtime very easily. Our daughter (18) preferred relaxing at the hotel while we explored at our own pace, and that worked perfectly for us. The nearby Arenas complex, with its 360‑degree panoramic views and restaurants, was very handy. Overall, this was a brilliant, stress‑free stay in a great location. We achieved everything we wanted to do and would happily return. A nod to the bar tender who made me the most amazing Negroni (didn’t get his name, but he was going to Italy on his holidays).

This hotel just keeps getting better and better!! After my (official) 10th visit to this hotel within the last 20 years -- I can easily say that the hotel has earned its 5 stars. The staff is wonderful and the rooms are big and roomy. Pro-tip -- join the rewards program